


Like Gravity

by prinxing (ranithepirate)



Category: EXO (Band), NCT (Band), SuperM (Korea Band)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drinking, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Romance, Smoking, Smut, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:41:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22349713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ranithepirate/pseuds/prinxing
Summary: Two lonely souls meet for the first time and maybe fall a little bit in love.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Comments: 12
Kudos: 38





	Like Gravity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, this is just one of many baekhei fics in my drafts. This is a two parter that's already finished, I just actually have to go back and edit my word vomit. [This is the vibe I'm going for](https://twitter.com/wayvIeavesm/status/1218195290223783942?s=20).

It’s nearly one in the morning when Yukhei steps out of the frenzied club and into the cool night air, a shudder rolling through his entire body as he breathes in the fresh air like it’s the first time in his life. The streets are alive with tourists and partygoers alike, colorful lights reflecting off of the wet pavement and making the world glow. The atmosphere is so bright and whimsical, full of life, and yet it doesn’t match the way he feels inside right now.

Yukhei didn’t have “bad days”—he didn’t believe in those—but he’d just gone through a pretty rough breakup last weekend and suddenly he didn’t know what to believe in anymore. He normally enjoys going out clubbing with his friends on the weekends, dancing away stress and appreciating the good company; any sort of enjoyment is time well spent in his books, and losing himself to the pounding bass and the overflowing alcohol was included at the very top of the list. But tonight, it was just a little too stuffy, with too many people standing a little too close and talking a little too loud.

Even after a couple drinks, he was still so unbearably sober that the contrast between his inner turmoil and the joy of the people around him started feeling awful. Honestly he thought he could just forget about it if he forced himself to go out tonight and have fun, but it’s hard to shake off something he’d been so sure about not even two weeks ago—before he caught his ex-girlfriend cheating, and it all came crashing down. It was all over and done with before he could even fully process the betrayal, unsure what to do with himself.

It was Yukhei’s friends who suggested that they all go out tonight, bringing him along to let loose and not think for a while. Even though they have his best interest at heart, Yukhei felt like he was letting them down by not being as enthusiastic as he usually is, visibly not enjoying himself no matter how hard he tried. Yukhei knows they’ll be upset that he left without saying anything, and that they’d understand why he wanted to leave and wouldn’t have stopped him either way. But for now he’ll just let them think that he’s still there, having fun and not worrying about anything, just as planned. He just wants to be alone for a while, even if only for a little bit.

So he starts walking, letting the distance between himself and the central hub of the city grow with every step, lost in thought as he replays the last few months of his broken relationship in his head and trying to figure out where exactly it went so wrong. In the end, Yukhei blames himself for not being as invested in the relationship as he should have been; he wasn’t even surprised that she cheated, but instead found himself feeling more disappointed than anything that they had to end on such a terrible note. They were close friends before all of this, just sort of falling into dating because everyone thought they looked good together.

Thinking back only makes Yukhei feel awful for being so half-hearted when starting the whole thing. He should have been honest like he usually is and break up with her instead of dragging for as long as they did, hoping it’d would get better with time only to let it ruin their friendship like this. But it’s too late for all of that now. Even still, the guilt inside of him feels so ugly, like bile burning at the back of his throat, and he just wants to crawl into bed and sleep it all off.

“Wow, you look like the world just ended.”

Yukhei halts in his tracks, startled to have his thoughts interrupted so suddenly like this. He looks up from the pavement to scan the area around him to find who is speaking, confused when he doesn’t spot anyone else on the sidewalk. He turns around and discovers that a few steps from where he just walked by, there is a man sitting is on a bench beneath the streetlight. His hair is platinum blond and he’s wearing a white jacket with beige cargo pants; under the direct lighting, he glows bright like a tiny sun in the otherwise muted, dark world around them, from his white hair to his skin to his clothes. It’s a little otherworldly, and Yukhei wonders fleetingly if maybe he is a little drunk from the alcohol he had earlier.

The man isn’t looking at Yukhei though; he has one leg up on the bench, slumped back on the seat like he is right at home on his couch, with a lit cigarette burning in his right hand. It instantly humanizes the stranger, shaking Yukhei from his initial amazement. The blond takes a long drag and blows it out slowly, like he’s contemplating life very seriously, but then he starts gagging and coughing like he isn’t used to the burn of smoke in his lungs. It’s kind of funny, but Yukhei stifles his laugh and instead looks on inquisitively, trying to figure him out. The stranger is a little too far away for Yukhei to see his expression very clearly, so he’s unsure if he was being spoken to or if he was just hearing things.

“… Were you talking to me?” Yukhei finally asks aloud, hesitant, hands fidgeting nervously in his pockets. The man almost instantly laughs in response, just a little too loud, but it sounds so incredibly friendly and warm. It’s a welcoming new noise resounding through the freezing night air, but there’s an underlying tone of melancholy in it too that Yukhei picks up on immediately—although he could just be projecting his own emotions onto a complete stranger.

“Who else around here looks as sad as you, big guy?” the man questions back, tilting his head and looking over at Yukhei. Even from a distance his dark eyes are compelling, as if beckoning him to strike a conversation. Curiosity peaked, Yukhei finds himself slowly approaching the stranger. Up close the man is much smaller than himself, with soft facial features that make him look charming even with the cigarette burning slowly between his long, thin fingers. Yukhei doesn’t even bother holding back his laughter this time when the blond attempts to take yet another drag of the cigarette only to choke on it again, gagging on the smoke and wrinkling his nose. His expression is downright miserable, like he doesn’t quite understand what he’s doing wrong, but doesn’t want to give up just yet either.

“You look plenty sad yourself, smoking out here all alone,” Yukhei counters, and their eyes meet when the other man stops glaring at the cigarette. “Well, trying to smoke. And failing.” The blond grins in response, big and bright with eyes that crinkle kindly, and Yukhei can’t help but smile right back, easily swept away in the moment; it’s how he always manages to get himself into sticky situations, and it can be both a blessing and a curse at times. He hopes it’s the former in this instance.

“Touché,” the stranger replies, not even hesitating before holding out the cigarette to Yukhei in offering. “Wanna join me and have a pity party? We can talk about our feelings and shit, be sad together. If you don’t have anything better to do, that is.”

Yukhei wavers only briefly before pushing away the hand holding the cigarette, taking note that the blond’s skin ice cold to the touch, probably from sitting out here for god knows how long in the freezing weather. Even then, despite the cold, there is an electrifying undercurrent when their skin makes brief contact that Yukhei can’t exactly place, pulling away his hand a little too fast to linger long enough and figure it out. He wonders if the other man felt it too, but the thought escapes him just as quickly as it came.

“I don’t smoke,” Yukhei explains, burying his hands back into his pockets. He still accepts the invitation regardless, taking a seat next to the stranger on the bench and leaning back comfortably as well. He accidentally knocks their knees together when he sits, maybe just a little too close, but neither of them really notice or care about the proximity. “It’s not really my thing.”

The man nods in understanding before he shrugs and puts the cigarette out on the metal part of the bench without a second thought. He aims and flicks it perfectly into the bin just beside the light post, a satisfying tinny noise indicating it’s safe landing inside. “Neither do I,” the blond admits, sighing deeply as his shoulders slump and he loses a few watts from that bright smile he had only seconds ago; it looks wry now, and tired. “I figured out that my boyfriend has been cheating on me, so I stole his cigarettes after I broke up with him. I wanted to waste them all, just like he wasted my time, but now I just wish I actually grabbed something more expensive. I guess I wanted to get out of there quickly, so I didn’t really think ahead.”

Yukhei’s brows raise at the revelation; what a remarkable coincidence. “It must be a small world then,” he comments with a dry laugh, shyly rubbing the back of his neck as he decides to reveal a little bit of himself as well. “Because my girlfriend cheated on me, too. I caught her in the act just last week, in fact. I didn’t take anything though, so you’re way better off on this whole revenge thing than me anyway.”

The stranger looks back at him with an astonished expression for a second before he laughs again, loud and unabashed, his shoulders quaking with mirth as he shakes his head in disbelief. “You know, it’d be _really_ crazy if they were cheating on us with each other,” the blond adds, still cackling, before his laughter trails off and the forlorn expression returns. “But I the person he cheated on me with was a close friend of mine....”

“I’m… sorry about that,” Yukhei says after a beat of silence when he notices that the man looks even sadder now than he did before. It’s a little heartbreaking, despite the fact that they don’t even know each other. “I at least didn’t know the guy my girlfriend cheated on me with. I feel like that would make it worse, if they were also my friend or something. But I didn’t even recognize him.”

“Don’t apologize for something you had nothing do with,” the blond admonishes with a sigh, looking lost in thought again.

Yukhei glances strangely him. “You know, you’re awfully calm for someone who just found out their boyfriend cheated on them with a friend.”

The other man is momentarily taken aback by Yukhei’s observation, their gazes meeting briefly before the blond looks away sheepishly. “Well… I actually figured out my boyfriend and my friend were sleeping together a pretty long time ago. I just… kept pretending like I didn’t know.”

“ _Oh_ ,” Yukhei comments dumbly, shocked by the other’s admission, a million questions running through his mind as he continues to examine the blond stranger’s profile with added curiosity. They don’t even know each other but this man hardly seems like the type of person to suffer in silence. Yukhei could never stay with someone if they were being unfaithful, it just didn’t make much sense to him to try otherwise. The trust that lay at the foundation of the relationship was already broken, so what was the point after that? “Did you just… want to stay with him anyway? Even though you knew about…?” he wonders, trailing off, a little hesitant in case he was digging too far.

The other man has an unreadable expression on his face when he glances back up at him, like he didn’t expect for Yukhei to actually be interested enough to ask him anything. After a few more seconds of contemplative silence, the blond lifts both his feet onto the bench so that he can wrap his arms around his knees before finally shaking his head in response.

“Not really. I might have loved him at one point, but I guess it wasn’t enough for him,” he starts, dark eyes glassy with thoughts far beyond Yukhei’s comprehension. “After he started cheating, I honestly stopped caring. I only stayed so my parents wouldn’t start immediately bitching at me after we broke up. They think I’ll never stay with any man long term just because we can’t get married or pregnant. But even then, I got sick of acting like an idiot while everyone else felt bad for me behind my back, so I finally broke up with him today. My parents are a different nightmare though. I don’t know how I’m going to tell them the news without losing my mind.”

The blond says that last part with a laugh like it’s funny joke, but the sound comes out hollow and sad, unlike how bright it was before, and Yukhei’s heart sinks for him. “That guy wasn’t worth anything then, but it really looks like you need new parents. You can borrow mine if you want, they’re pretty neat,” Yukhei says to lighten the mood, and it pleases him when the other man’s soft smile returns with a snort, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

The stranger fully turns his head to look intently at Yukhei. “I’m sorry. I invited you for a pity party but I’m just taking all your pity instead,” he says. “What’s your story, big guy?”

Yukhei hesitates briefly, the words forming on the tip of his tongue as the blond man continues to look back at him with interest. Yukhei wonders how wise it actually is to just lay out his laundry to a complete stranger, but then again, this man just offered Yukhei the same thing. Before Yukhei’s mind can even come up with a decision, he finds himself giving into the other man’s inquisitive gaze and starts speaking without even realizing. And when he starts, it becomes incredibly difficult to stop.

Even though they don’t know each other, Yukhei is relieved to finally just unpack everything he’s been bottling up for the past week—or, more honestly, the last few months. Despite the close relationship he has with his friends, he could never really have an honest talk about his ex-girlfriend with them because she was just as close to them as he was. Yukhei didn’t want to make their group dynamic awkward by talking about what it was like to date her, and why their relationship ended so abruptly. No one in their circle knew that she cheated on him, either—she had desperately begged him not to tell, crying and throwing a fit even though the one in the wrong was her. And even if Yukhei had wanted to say something, he felt cornered. It was strange for him to be surrounded by friends and yet feel so alone at the same time.

Now, with a complete outsider who went through something similar that is willing to listen without any prior prejudice, letting out all his pent up thoughts is such a sudden relief—one that he didn’t even know he needed so badly. Especially when, in truth, Yukhei felt partially responsible for the demise of the relationship. He recounts absolutely everything, the sentences spilling out of him like word vomit; once he began, he couldn’t stop. And yet, the other man listens to everything carefully, taking in Yukhei’s hand gestures and movements, his brows furrowed in concentration. It was difficult not getting distracted, only to get re-prompted into speaking by the stranger. When Yukhei finally finishes, he trails off yet again with one last concluding deep sigh.

After a couple moments of contemplative silence, the blond finally speaks up. “I think you’re giving yourself a little too much credit here,” he begins, waiting for Yukhei to look over and make eye contact with him. It feels strangely intimate, like he’s truly being spoken to directly to his soul, and it’s a vulnerable moment that makes Yukhei’s chest suddenly feel a little too tight. “You know what this sounds like? That _both_ of you didn’t really put much effort into the relationship. You shouldn’t shoulder all the blame on yourself when she was just as indifferent.”

Yukhei sighs, knowing that the other man isn’t wrong, but at the same time still feeling sympathetic towards his ex. It’s part of his personality, something he’s been scolded for on multiple occasions by his friends, but it’s not something he can exactly get rid of. “I guess. She just didn’t know how to break up with me, just like I didn’t know how to, either,” he rationalizes, thoughts still running a mile a minute.

The stranger taps Yukhei’s shoulder to get his attention again, his expression very pointed when he speaks. “Yeah, but at least _you_ didn’t cheat,” he says, “and honestly that makes all the difference. Her mistake will never be your fault, and I think all you need to do is accept that.”

The sudden wave of relief that washes over Yukhei right then is liberating, a mixture of something between astounded and grateful bubbling inside of him. He can’t stop staring in admiration at the stranger even though the other man has already stopped looking back at him. Instead, the blond crosses his arms with an annoyed huff, continuing to speak while shaking his head. “In all honestly, it’s a damn shame you were stuck for so long with someone who didn’t know what to do with what they had.”

He says that last part so flippantly that Yukhei almost doesn’t catch the meaning behind the other’s words, and his brows raise in surprise. An amused smile pulls at the corners of Yukhei’s lips when he sees how offended the blond man is on his behalf; it’s awfully endearing, and that inexplicably tight feeling in Yukhei’s chest returns ten-fold. “And what do you mean by that, exactly?” he probes, not even trying to hide how flattered he is as his smile grows wider.

“What I _mean_ is that you’re literally the textbook definition of Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Any girl who cheats on you has to be clinically insane. I have eyes after all, big guy. Trust me on this,” the stranger—could he even call him that anymore?—retorts with a teasing lilt, the slightest hint of a smirk on his lips.

If Yukhei didn’t know any better, he’d think the other man is flirting with him. Yukhei is straight after all, and it’s pretty obvious too; they’ve been talking about his ex-girlfriend for the past half hour, even if it was only to complain. And yet, Yukhei still struck by just how incredibly enchanting the smaller man looks right then, his dark eyes glittering almost invitingly up at him under the streetlight—

— _wow_ , is Yukhei attracted to this man? The realization catches him mid-thought, but only for a moment as the awareness settles pleasantly inside of him, a curious sensation that he isn’t averse to in the least. He recognizes almost instantly that he wouldn’t mind if the blond actually _was_ flirting, maybe even hoping for it. Although the other man is undeniably handsome in a more charmingly beautiful sort of way, it was his easy-going manner and sincere advice that has swayed Yukhei’s emotions to this point.

“‘Clinically insane,’” Yukhei chuckles at the light insult directed at his ex, grinning cheekily back at the smaller man instead of thinking too hard about these sudden but not unwelcome new feelings. Still, he ultimately decides to push a little bit and see what he gets, not wanting to back down even an inch to the blond’s possible flirting and hoping to get a reaction out of him that’ll fluster him. He thinks about the things his friends have said to him, including what he’s seen online, and decides to pull out the big guns. “The same could be said about any man who cheats on you, _pretty boy_.”

The gratification is instantaneous as the blond’s ears promptly turn red, the smaller man choking out an embarrassed laugh while turning away and lightly smacking Yukhei’s arm. Yukhei’s stomach does an interesting little swoop in that moment, and he has to actively fight the urge to grab the other man’s forearm and pull him near again, wanting to see how pink he can make his face get. It’s probably the flirtiest thought Yukhei has ever had despite having dated a few times already, and it’s an fascinatingly new feeling that sticks to him and doesn’t let go. He doesn’t hate it one bit.

“Someone as attractive as you shouldn’t be allowed to call someone a pretty boy,” the blond complains when he gathers his bearings, but he’s still smiling which means he probably liked being called that, and it only goads Yukhei further. “It’s illegal.”

“Is it?” Yukhei teases delightedly, unable to help himself. “I have attractive friends that call me that all the time.”

“That’s because you _are_ one,” the other counters with a huff, scrunching his face and looking so unbearably adorable that it physically hurts.

Luckily he’s already fallen into Yukhei’s trap, so he lays it on thick this time. “So are you, pretty boy.”

“Oh my god, stop saying that!” the blond whines loudly, laughing very hard despite himself, and the blush from his ears has quickly spread to his cheeks, now bright red from embarrassment. When he notices Yukhei’s shit-eating grin direct towards him, he covers his face with his hands, trying to hide himself but still peeking out from behind his fingers to check if the taller man is still looking. They both start giggling uncontrollably when their eyes meet through the obstruction of his hands. Even while in the middle of laughter Yukhei is struck again just by how infuriatingly cute this man is without even trying. He’s never wanted to get to know someone _this_ badly before, and it’s frustrating to know that they will eventually have to part ways tonight, regardless of how he feels.

“Don’t play with my heart like this,” the smaller man complains when their laughter finally calms, and, as if he somehow managed to read Yukhei’s mind, he softly adds, “you have too much power for someone who’s name I don’t even know.”

Yukhei feels like if he could grin wider, he would, but his cheeks are on the brink of breaking from how big he’s been smiling just in these last few minutes. He cheekily holds his hand out, eyes glinting with glee. “I’m Yukhei,” he says, finally introducing himself.

The smaller man returns the smile. “Baekhyun,” he says simply, accepting Yukhei’s extended hand to shake. The blond—no, _Baekhyun’s_ —fingers are slender and soft, easily dwarfing in Yukhei’s grasp. That electrifying spark from earlier when Yukhei had refused Baekhyun’s cigarette offer returns, but this time it’s multiplied a million times over, sending a tremor down Yukhei’s spine that is completely unrelated to the cold. He knows Baekhyun can feel it too, can see it in the way he looks down at where their palms meet, so Yukhei tightens his grip on Baekhyun’s hand just a second before their handshake should have ended—and doesn’t let go.

Baekhyun looks up instantly, brows raised in surprise. They stare at each other, neither of them wanting to end the conversation just yet. Yukhei licks his lips, his mouth suddenly very dry, and he really likes the way Baekhyun’s eyes are momentarily distracted by it, taking it as a positive sign. “You… wouldn’t happen to have any plans right now, do you?”

Baekhyun glances briefly at his watch. “I mean, it’s nearly two in the morning, so I _was_ gonna go home…” he replies honestly, but his voice is hesitant. Their eyes remain locked, the tension growing so unbearably thick that it gets harder to breathe with each passing second, and Yukhei has a strong feeling that Baekhyun doesn’t want to separate, either.

So he decides to go with his gut. “Well,” he begins, his grip on Baekhyun’s hand growing even tighter still, making his intentions clear before he even says anything. “I happen to know a barbecue place that’s open twenty-four hours, if you wan—”

Baekhyun practically flies off the bench, impatiently tugging Yukhei up as well with surprising strength despite his size, nearly startling the life out of the taller man. “Lead the way, big guy!” Baekhyun snickers teasingly, face still a little pink from earlier. It’s his warm expression that catches Yukhei completely off-guard, Baekhyun's smile so magnificently pleased and delighted that it feels like _Yukhei_ is the one doing Baekhyun a favor by making him stay out later, and not the other way around.

It’s amazing how Baekhyun glows even as he moves around, like a little sun reflecting the streetlight with his white hair and clothes—maybe even shining brighter than when he was just sitting there, basking in the light. In that very moment Yukhei finds everything about Baekhyun absolutely spectacular, feeling more than just a little breathless and out of his depth. He can’t help but laugh right back, his heart pounding both from the shock Baekhyun just gave him as well as another new feeling rapidly growing inside of his chest.

Is it possible to like someone _this_ much in such a short amount of time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the actual story part of the fic that I wrote despite originally wanting it to be a PWP. I will add the sexy tags when I post the smut so not to spoil what's to come (lol) so check out the tags before reading part two in case you have any squicks.
> 
> You can find me on twitter @[ranithepirate](https://twitter.com/ranithepirate) if you want, I just tweet about Baekhyun all day when I'm not working. I had a poll on Baekhyun's hair color for this fic, but since blue and pink were tied, I just went for white.


End file.
